[Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?

Fri Nov 10 20:39:29 CST 2006

Hello Darrell:

One very important reason why it is necessary to maintain programs utilized 
by blind individuals such as with RSA. Is because the blind require unique 
alternative techniques to accomplish tasks. Competent blind person’s best 
understand these unique alternative techniques. Who better to not only teach 
the general population but also change the general population’s attitudes 
toward blindness than competent blind individuals.

Yes, it is our obligation to know the ins and outs of accessible 
voting—right now. Now, perhaps in a year or maybe a little more this wil not 
be the case. When a sighted person goes to vote he understands the principle 
and mechanics of taking the marker and drawing a line from one area of the 
ballot to the next in order to select a desired outcome.

When a blind person goes to vote, what does the average American citizen 
know about accessibility, about speech output, about pushing buttons to 
scroll through lists, etc? For this second go-a-round with accessible voting 
the poll worker has been briefed on how to activate a machine that is 
certainly foreign to him and then, perhaps the opportunity arises only once 
within that day to put that training to use.

Yes, it is our responsibility as blind citizens to be in charge of whom we 
are, what we want, and how to get there. We should never stand by and let 
the world take care of us, tell us whether to sit or stand, perhaps the best 
way to hold the keypad, how fast or how slow to move through the promps, and 
worst of all we should never stand by and be told that accessible voting 
will just take to long and it would be faster jus to have a poll worker mark 
our choice.

Darrell, keep in mind the many blind people who refused to sit at the front 
of the bus so that you now have a choice of where to sit, keep in mind of 
the many blind people who chose to be arrested on an airplane rather than 
have their long cane taken from them and hidden away somewhere on the plane.

You must never forget these things. You must never allow custodialism to 
prevail.

Mark Feliz

>From: "Darrell Shandrow" <nu7i at speakeasy.net>
>Reply-To: Arizona Association of Blind Students 
>List<arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
>To: "Arizona Association of Blind Students List" 
><arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
>Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?
>Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 19:01:22 -0700
>
>Hi Mark,
>
>Though I do agree it is wise for the blind citizen to have some prior
>knowledge of just how accessible voting will work in their jurisdiction, it
>is not their obligation, just as it is not the obligation of the sighted
>person to know the ins and outs of the system they will use for voting.
>This is clearly a case where it is the responsibility of election officials
>to insure the process is accessible.
>
>
>Darrell Shandrow - Shandrow Communications!
>Technology consultant/instructor, network/systems administrator!
>A+, CSSA, Network+!
>Information should be accessible to us without need of translation by
>another person.
>Blind Access Journal blog and podcast: http://www.blindaccessjournal.com
>Sign the ProTools accessibility petition at http://protoolspetition.org
>today!
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "MARK FELIZ" <felizfamily5 at msn.com>
>To: <arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 6:28 PM
>Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> >>From: "Darrell Shandrow" <nu7i at speakeasy.net>
> >>Reply-To: Arizona Association of Blind Students
> >>List<arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
> >>To: "Arizona Association of Blind Students List"
> >><arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
> >>Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?
> >>Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 08:09:53 -0700
> >>
> >>Hi Mark,
> >>
> >>Yes.  We must be extremely vigilant to insure our continued improving
> >>access
> >>in this area for sure.  There was almost zero coverage of accessible
> >>voting
> >>by the mainstream media on election day or the days immediately before.
> >>
> >>I think many access problems were caused by a lack of proper complete
> >>training of election officials and poll workers.
> >>
> >>Darrell Shandrow - Shandrow Communications!
> >>Technology consultant/instructor, network/systems administrator!
> >>A+, CSSA, Network+!
> >>Information should be accessible to us without need of translation by
> >>another person.
> >>Blind Access Journal blog and podcast: http://www.blindaccessjournal.com
> >>Sign the ProTools accessibility petition at http://protoolspetition.org
> >>today!
> >>----- Original Message -----
> >>From: "MARK FELIZ" <felizfamily5 at msn.com>
> >>To: <arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
> >>Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 5:44 AM
> >>Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?
> >>
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >>From: Arielle Silverman <hdsilverman at gmail.com>
> >> >>Reply-To: Arizona Association of Blind Students
> >> >>List<arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
> >> >>To: "Arizona Association of Blind Students List"
> >> >><arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
> >> >>Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?
> >> >>Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 22:38:57 -0700
> >> >>
> >> >>Hi all,
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>             I had an interesting problem when I tried to vote using
> >> >> the
> >> >>accessible voting machine. When I arrived at the polling place and
> >> >>asked
> >> >>if
> >> >>an accessible voting machine was available, the poll workers happily
> >>told
> >> >>me
> >> >>that there was a machine and that I would be the first one to use it. 
>I
> >> >>gave
> >> >>them my ID and was directed to the machine. However, I then had to 
>wait
> >> >>while the poll workers conferred about how to turn the machine on.
> >> >>Apparently the machine needed to be activated by inserting a special
> >>card
> >> >>that is linked to the voter's registration number. After I waited for
> >> >>about
> >> >>ten minutes, they tried inserting a card to activate the machine, but
> >>the
> >> >>card was rejected. The poll worker then called someone else for help,
> >>but
> >> >>they were unable to figure out how to program the activation card so
> >>that
> >> >>the machine would accept it.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>             Unfortunately, so that I would not have to miss class, 
>my
> >>mom
> >> >>had driven me to the polling place on our way to a dinner that we 
>were
> >> >>attending, and we didn't have more time to wait and see if the voting
> >> >>machine could be fixed, so I got a print ballot and my mom read it 
>for
> >>me
> >> >>(obviously, not a secret ballot). The poll workers were all very nice
> >>and
> >> >>accommodating, and said that they had been trained on how to use the
> >> >>machine, but clearly there was a serious glitch either in their
> >> >>training
> >> >>or
> >> >>in the performance of the machine itself. I did get the name and 
>phone
> >> >>number of the man whom the poll worker called for help, so I will 
>call
> >> >>tomorrow to find out why the machine didn't work and how this problem
> >>can
> >> >>be
> >> >>avoided in the future. Did anyone else have similar problems with
> >> >>accessible
> >> >>machines requiring a special registration card before you could use
> >>them?
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>Arielle
> >> >>
> >> >>----- Original Message -----
> >> >>From: "Allison" <Allison.Hilliker at asu.edu>
> >> >>To: "Arizona Association of Blind Students List"
> >> >><arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
> >> >>Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 10:10 PM
> >> >>Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> > Hi Tony, Great!  Glad to hear you both voted!  Did you get to use
> >> >> > the
> >> >> > accessible machines?  How'd that go for you?  Any troubles with 
>it?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Allison
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > "Until the last drop of sun burns its sweet light
> >> >> > Plenty revolutions left until we get this thing right."
> >> >> > -- Emily Saliers
> >> >> >
> >> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> >> > From: "Tony Sohl" <tonysohl at extremezone.com>
> >> >> > To: "Arizona Association of Blind Students List"
> >> >> > <arizona-students at nfbnet.org>
> >> >> > Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 10:02 PM
> >> >> > Subject: Re: [Arizona-students] Did anyone bvote?
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> Hi Allison, Melissa and I both voted.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> _______________________________________________
> >> >> >> Arizona-students mailing list
> >> >> >> Arizona-students at nfbnet.org
> >> >> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/arizona-students
> >> >> >
> >> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> >> > Arizona-students mailing list
> >> >> > Arizona-students at nfbnet.org
> >> >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/arizona-students
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>_______________________________________________
> >> >>Arizona-students mailing list
> >> >>Arizona-students at nfbnet.org
> >> >>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/arizona-students
> >> > Hi folks:
> >> >
> >> > I too had to wait for the poll worker to figure out how to activate 
>the
> >> > voting machine. Since I was the first to use the machine in my 
>presinct
> >> > she
> >> > had to spend about twenty minutes figuring out how to get the thing 
>up
> >>and
> >> > running. She too had to call someone but in my case that phone call 
>did
> >> > the
> >> > trick. I vowed before going to the polls that, no matter how long it
> >>takes
> >> > to get things working, I would exercise my "right" to vote in 
>private.
> >>It
> >> > took me about ten minutes to electronically vote. What a liberating
> >> > experience.
> >> >
> >> > Let us not allow our long awaited right to vote in secrecy be taken
> >> > away
> >> > through all the controversy of electronic voting.
> >> >
> >> > Mark Feliz
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> > Arizona-students mailing list
> >> > Arizona-students at nfbnet.org
> >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/arizona-students
> >> >
> >>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>Arizona-students mailing list
> >>Arizona-students at nfbnet.org
> >>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/arizona-students
> > Hello Darrell:
> >
> > include the blind population in among your list of those who had lack of
> > training. We as blind users of the accessible technology should have had 
>a
> > general idea of how the system works in order to work as a team along 
>with
> > the election poll workers. We should have an understanding of the basics
> > about the special ID card, that audio must be activated, if there is a
> > problem how to zip out of a ballot and call it spoiled, etc.
> >
> > You are certainly correct about little coverage by the media. Saddly, I
> > made
> > five direct contacts with the press who seemed to want to come out and 
>do
> > a
> > story on accessible voting but each time the appointment was put off by
> > the
> > press. Hmmmmmm? I believe it definitley has something to do with the
> > powers
> > to be wanting these machines kept low keyed. It is very unfortunate that
> > blind citizens were not even given the opportunity to use the voting
> > machines. That is a tragedy which is worthy of noting.
> >
> > Mark Feliz
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Arizona-students mailing list
> > Arizona-students at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/arizona-students
> >
>
>_______________________________________________
>Arizona-students mailing list
>Arizona-students at nfbnet.org
>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/arizona-students